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Natural hazards · Middlesex

Middlesex, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Middlesex comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 977 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations
Expected damage

How exposed is Middlesex?

86
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Middlesex to be higher than in 86% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding87%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Middlesex faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

87% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Middlesex flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Middlesex, from FEMA’s records.

977paid claims since 1978
$34.2Mpaid to owners
178homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 228 claims, $7.8M
  • Hurricane Floyd: 153 claims, $3.8M
  • Hurricane Ida: 143 claims, $11.3M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 3 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (73) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Middlesex isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Middlesex County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

18flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Middlesex

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Middlesex itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Borough of Middlesex.

Brought FEMA money into MiddlesexDeclared for Middlesex County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

595 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved $408K to the Borough of Middlesex for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$55K to the Borough of Middlesex for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

563 households applied for aid $57K aid approved $376K to the Borough of Middlesex for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

384 households applied for aid $998K aid approved $225K to the Borough of Middlesex for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$26K to the Borough of Middlesex for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

96 households applied for aid $325K aid approved $53K to the Borough of Middlesex for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

72 households applied for aid $38K aid approved $77K to the Borough of Middlesex for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$154K to the Borough of Middlesex for repairs
Middlesex County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Middlesex

Middlesex and the towns around it

Green Brook: High, mostly inland floodingBridgewater: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBound Brook: Very high, mostly inland floodingPiscataway: High, mostly inland floodingDunellen: Very high, mostly inland floodingSouth Bound Brook: Very high, mostly inland floodingWatchung: High, mostly inland floodingPlainfield: Very high, mostly inland floodingNorth Plainfield: Very high, mostly inland floodingWarren: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBedminster: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBranchburg: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSomerville: High, mostly inland floodingManville: High, mostly inland floodingHillsborough: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRaritan: High, mostly inland floodingFranklin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBernards: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNew Brunswick: High, mostly inland floodingSouth Plainfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEdison: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMiddlesex: Very high, mostly inland flooding MiddlesexGreen BrookBridgewaterBound BrookPiscatawayDunellenSouth Bound Brook
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Middlesexmostly inland floodingVery high
Bound Brookmostly inland floodingVery high
Dunellenmostly inland floodingVery high
South Bound Brookmostly inland floodingVery high
Green Brookmostly inland floodingHigh
Piscatawaymostly inland floodingHigh
Bridgewatermostly inland floodingModerate
About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.
Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Middlesex covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Middlesex’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Middlesex. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Middlesex total about $9.6M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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